5.1: Collective Farming Movements

Communal ownership of agricultural land exists in different places in the world. One well-known example is the kibbutzim in Israel, which collectively owned agricultural land and were governed much like a cooperative. Hutterite colonies in North America follow a similar process, with the exception that women have no role in governance. Communal ownership of land did exist in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union with the collectives and communes. Members, however, did not participate in governance, so strategic decisions such as what to plant and what machinery to purchase were not made by the board in a manner associated with democratic control. Furthermore, the development of these structures was not voluntary. Other countries with communist or socialist governments experimented with similar type structures during the 20th century.

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